The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1887-12-15
from Sundays Daily ]

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officers there, and the conclusion was
reached that the law must be enforced,
even if troops have to be called into
reausitiOn. Governor Ross is understood
to be of the same opinion, and determined
that all laws on the statute book shall be
enforced until they are repealed. he has
no other alternative, and says the badre
suits of any law will soon be checked by
their repeal, but where the law exists 10
must be observed.
Governor Ross has received the official
report of the trustees of the state reform
atory at Gatesville. It states that the
contract for the building was awarded to
j. F. Smith, of Austin, for $32,250. Their
expenditures so far have been about
81 600, including $1,000 for excavations
and foundations.
The charter of the Coleman County Ali
ance Cooperative association was hlld
here yesterday. Capital, $4,000. Incor-
porators, j. NJ. Key and Others. Also,
filed charter of the Galveston and Western
Railway company, running through the
streets and public highways of Galveston
to point in Galveston county, at or near
Caraukaway, west of the city. Capita',
| 100000. Incorpora5ors, w. Hinchman
and Others.
Treasury deposits yesterday, $4,000,
about equally between general revenue
and the school fund.
Governor Ross has gone to GatesylIe,
to confer with the trustees of tue state
reformatOry.
Governor Ross has received the follow
| ing report as to the state reformatory;
To Governor Ross, Austin, Texas.
In accordance with the provisions Of the
statutes, we herewith submit to you our
quarterly report, said quarter ending De-
cember 6, 1887.
After receiving our commissions, and at
| your excellency's request, we convened In
the city of Austin and organized as the
law directs, and reported to you that W.
NJ. Mathews was elected president, Ferg
Kyle treasurer, and E. A. Mcdonnell secre
tary. We at once proceeded to procure
the services of competent and skillful
architect.
Upon a careful examination of the
various applicants, we unanimously
elected NJ. E. Northcroft, of San Marcos
as architect and superintendent of the
| work.
AS the law directs, the plans and specif
cations for the necessary building having
been prepared by said architect and sub
to the board of trustees, and by them ap'
proved, we thereupon proceeded to adver'
tise for the contractor to erect said build
ings; advertising in the Fort Worth
Gazette and Galveston News that bid;
would be received up to, and upon the
eleventh day of November, 1887, at oul
Office in Gatesville, Texas.
We on that day opened and examined
the various bids, accompanied by bonds
and recommendations of competency, ano
awarded the contract for building sale
house of correction and reformatOry tC
]. F. Smith, of Austin, Texas, he having
presented the lowest and best bid fol
doing said work-his bid being $32, 250-
and to complete the building by July l
| 1888.
We have paid out to date the following
amounts: (Specified in detail and aggre-
eating $1,933,10).
! These constitute our expenditures, ant
we have the honor to report that the worl
is progressing as we'll as could be ex
pected under the circumstances, and con
sidering the wet weather we have beer
having now for eight or ten days.
The excavations for the foundation
are about complete, and concrete bas
in one of them is laid. The parts hav,
all been put upon the ground by the con
tracing parties, and the holes for setting
posts are nearing completion.
We have had some trouble with thu
we'll, having to close work on account O
the caving, until we could order casing
from st. Louis, which We did, and tn,
same has now been on the road for tfteeI
days, but has not yet arrived.
We trust that this report will be suffi-
GENTLY full and complete, to give you
excellency pretty clear idea of tn,
progress of the work.
Done by order of the board at Gates
vile, Texas, this, the 7th day of Decem,
Der, 1887. w. Nj. MATHIS, President.
E. A. MCDOWELL,
Sec'y Board of Trustees.
The comptroller has written the follow
ing important letter touching the drum.
mer tax:
OFFICE OF COMPTROLLER,
AUSTIN, TEXAS, December 10, 1887. !
Mr.. ]. H. johnson, Tax Collector, Colorado
County, Columbus, leAas:
Dear Sir-Acknowledging the receipt o
yours of the Sth inst, and replying to thu
inquiries therein made, have to say:
There is now pending in the suprem,
court of the United States the case of W
G. Asher, plaintiff in error, VS.. The Stat
| of Texas, defendant in error, the sam'
being an appeal by said Asher from thu
court of appeals of this state, wherein tn,
law of this state imposing an occupation
tax upon drummers was held by saiC
court to be constitutional.
Until the supreme court of the United
States shall render a decision in said case
holding the law imposing said tax to b'
unconstitutional and in contraventior
with the laws of interstate commerce; Of
until the said law may be repealed by the
legislature of this state; or until the con
gress of the United States shall, by ex-
press enactment, deny the right of states
to impose such tax, this department ex-
poets the tax collectors, and all peace
officers of the state of Texas, to enforce
the laws of this state requiring payment
of occupation tax by every drummer who
may do business in this state, and without
making any distinction between residents
and non-residents.
am, very respectfully,
JNo. D. MCCALL, Comptroller.
From Tuesdays Daily
As will be seen by the proceedings il
another column the Grand Lodge AT. anG